1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television receiving apparatus capable of receiving broadcast television signals and of reproducing images and associated sounds and, more particularly, to a television receiving apparatus provided with an antenna having changeable directivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known television receiving apparatus is provided with an antenna having directivity capable of being electrically changed so as to match with radio waves to be received, namely, an antenna commonly called a “smart antenna”. For example, a television receiving apparatus disclosed in JP-A 2005-354631 (hereinafter, referred to as “Patent document 1”) is such a television receiving apparatus. According to Patent document 1, a smart antenna includes a leg unit to be stably set on a floor, a post extending vertically upward from the leg unit, an antenna holder held on top of the post, and plural receiving devices, namely, directional antennas, held in the antenna holder. The smart antenna is electrically connected to a television receiver by an antenna cable. The smart antenna is controlled by the television receiver on the basis of a predetermined protocol to change the directivity thereof and such.
In connecting the smart antenna to the television receiver installed in a room, it is desirable to dispose the receiving devices in a substantially horizontal position and to separate the receiving devices by a predetermined distance from the metal components of the television receiver to enhance the respective sensitivities of the receiving devices. That is, the receiving devices are arranged in a horizontal plane to receive horizontally polarized waves whereby to change directivity. Since the smart antenna receives radio waves, the smart antenna needs to be separated from the television receiver as far as possible to reduce the influence of the metallic components.
When the smart antenna is disposed in a manner mentioned above, it is possible that the smart antenna and the antenna cable spoil the aesthetic appearance of the television receiving apparatus.
In a television receiving apparatus disclosed in JP-A 2005-244885 (hereinafter, referred to as “Patent document 2”), an array antenna is placed in a horizontal position on a comb-shaped support member supporting a television receiver thereon so that the appearance of the television receiving apparatus may not be spoiled.
In a television receiving apparatus disclosed in JP-A 2005-295135 (hereinafter, referred to “Patent document 3”), an element forming an antenna pattern is incorporated into one of the internal devices, such as a display panel, a chassis and a bezel, of a television receiver, and external devices, such as a carrying handle and a stand, of the television receiver.
Although the aesthetic appearance is not spoiled by incorporating the smart antenna into the television receiver as mentioned in Patent documents 2 or 3, it is difficult to arrange the receiving devices horizontally and to dispose the receiving devices at the predetermined distance from the television receiver and it is possible that the signal sensitivity of the smart antenna is reduced. Thus, the improvement of the aesthetic appearance and the improvement of the signal sensitivity of the smart antenna are contradictory to each other. Nothing about means for making those improvements compatible has been proposed.